How to Write a Great Blog Post in Just 15 Minutes

Have you ever wished you could write a great blog post in less than 15 minutes? Keep reading, because your wish is about to become reality.

This article will show you five practical tactics you can employ when writing any blog post. The great part is that you’re going to get it done in less than 15 minutes.

Before I begin, let’s address a horrible content-based epidemic swarming the Internet: quantity does not equal quality. Most great writers know the importance of being brief. This does not necessarily mean that you should craft a one-line post, but it does mean you should be value-focused and not length-focused.

Tactic #1: Plan Your Writing

What are people searching for? What interests them? What do they want to read? Figure this out and then develop an organizational format for your articles. For example, my organizational format for this post is:

Headline

Question

Tactics and explanation of tactics

Conclusion

Call to action

Tactic #2: Create a Headline Bank

Why do you think most blog posts fail? It’s because the headline isn’t catchy! People are drawn in by headlines. Determining the right headline for your post can be the difference between a reader staying or leaving your site.

A headline bank is nothing more than a list of grabbers that will not only save you a huge amount of time in the initial writing process, but they attract your readers to the content. At the very least, your bank should include:

Questions

When you begin by asking your readers a question, they feel as if you are speaking directly to them. There is much power in asking the right questions. For example:

Who else wants to write a great blog post in less than 15 minutes?

Is your Twitter campaign sinking?

How do you make the perfect connection with your audience when speaking?

Quotes

Very few bloggers begin their posts with quotes, but they are just as powerful as questions because they add credibility to the subsequent content. For example:

Nicholas Boothman stated, “The cheapest, most effective way to connect with others is to look them in the eye.”

Short Stories

You can use sentences and phrases as well for story headlines. Stories do not have to be two or three paragraphs in length. Let’s examine two short powerful story headlines:

The Runaway General

A Tale of Two Twitter Users

Statistics

Numbers always gain the attention of your readers and they do it quickly. For example:

100,000 people affected by iPhone 4

500 million flock to Facebook

You can easily access ideas from what you already have. Just pick one from your headline vault and get going.

Although you need to have a bank of headlines, you shouldn’t write your headline until the body of the article is complete. Why? Because as you write, ideas change and as ideas change, so will your title. Allow the content to control the title.

Now, if you examine this list closely, you’ll have an option for every day of the week. All you have to do is rotate them to fit the needs of your audience. Also, see Brain Clark’s article 5 Simple Ways to Open Your Post With a Bang.

Tactic #3: Time Yourself (Watch the Clock)

Time is the most precious resource we have.

You need to make every minute count.

When I first started blogging, it would take me three hours to write ONE blog post. Yikes!

Your first task is to remember that perfection is not an option. Don’t spend all day trying to craft the “perfect message.” Create short, comprehensible sentences and step away from the computer.

You may be concerned that people will not read your article because it’s not perfect. Not true. Think of progression and not perfection.

Despite all of your perfective tactics, some people will still never be satisfied. Set your timer for 15 minutes and when it stops, you’re done.

Tactic #4: Use the “Series Approach”

Say you’re planning to write a blog post concerning this topic: 5 Simple Steps to Getting Your Business on Twitter. Instead of packing all five steps into one post, create a weekly series by breaking each main topic down and creating a single post for that topic. By doing this, you’ll have developed blog posts for a full week:

Monday: Set Up Your Twitter Account

Tuesday: Choose Your Twitter Name

Wednesday: Upload Picture

Thursday: Upload Your Best Link

Friday: Write an Interesting Twitter Bio

Now, let’s create a plan with a few tweaks to the article titles.

Monday: How to Set Up Your Twitter Account to Attract More Business

Tuesday: 3 Steps to Avoid When Crafting Your Twitter Name

Wednesday: Using Your Twitter Picture to Attract Targeted Prospects

Thursday: Link-building with Twitter: Upload Your Best Link for Success

Friday: How Writing an Interesting Twitter Bio Can Make You Millions

This will keep your readers coming back for each step. By looking at the titles of the above posts, you’ll be sure to cover only the necessary content that pertains to that headline, meaning that the content will be shorter. Thus you can almost ensure that you meet the 15-minute mark.

Tactic #5: Get to “the Meat of the Problem”

How would you feel if you went to McDonald’s and ordered a quarter pounder with cheese only to walk away with bread and lettuce? You wouldn’t be too happy. So, keep that in mind when writing for your readers.

They want value, not diluted information.

So don’t get your readers all revved up with a great grabber, neglect the body (being the meat) and skip to the conclusion. Imagine reading this:

Introduction: “Are you aware of the fact that 80% of your colleagues spend more than 45 minutes crafting an introduction for their daily blog posts?”

Body (the meat): Here’s what you should do to avoid this roadblock: Prepare.

Conclusion: All you need to do now is click the Join Now button and pay the $99.95/monthly fee.

Wow, what a great way to start a relationship. Not good.

The point here is that anyone can ramble on and on or even write a brief statement about something that really does not provide value. If you want people to continue to follow you and your blog, you must provide quality and not leave the bigger needs unmet.

In the above example, the questions that your reader is going to ask are, “How do I prepare?” and “What am I preparing for?” You see, this is the main source, the missing piece to the puzzle that will throw the entire article off into wonderland. Simply put, your readers want detailed solutions to problems.

Creating a great blog post in 15 minutes might be difficult for you at first, but if you focus on providing value, planning ahead while keeping “headlines in the bank,” your readers will thank you every time!

What are your thoughts? What’s your experience? If you like this article, press the retweet button at the top of the page. Let’s get the discussion going.

Nerma Moore, Ph.D., is an Internet Marketer who teaches women how to make money from their blog. For more of her content, visit her website at blogspotforwomen.com. Other posts byNerma Moore »

http://twitter.com/RaffleDog Stephen Alberts

Awesome article! I’m about to start posting on my blog next week and will use this to make my life easier. Quality doesn’t have to be pages long but you do need to get to the point and provide the reader with the answer! Love the headline part.

Raindance227

I actually bought a Latte at McDonald’s once and it had no coffee in it, just a full cup of steamed milk.

http://twitter.com/RoyalEnfielder Vineet Rajan

good blog!

http://www.kimberlyciesla.com Kimberly Ciesla

Thanks so much for the tips Nerma! I’m always looking for ways to squeeze in a blog post here and there. Who knew it could be so easy?! I look forward to reading more of your posts. Thanks again!

http://www.integralwebsolutions.co.za/Blog.aspx Robert Bravery

Great article. You’ve outlined this and approached this very logically. It’s amazing if you just go through the motions how easy it then becomes to write articles.

Nigel Jones

Superb article thank you!

http://www.sigmabizlearning.com/ Jamie Gorman

So which is it? found it interesting that you recommend writing the content first then the headline. I followed the link to Brian Clark’s blog that you included and found an article he wrote titled “Why you should always write your headline first” http://www.copyblogger.com/why-you-should-always-write-your-headline-first/. Would love to get some more input from your readers on what works for them. I find myself doing a little of both and have been getting mediocre results! Thanks for the post, I’m always looking for ways to improve my efficiency and my writing!

http://bradleyaharmon.com Brad Harmon

I read the title of this post on Twitter and immediately thought there’s no way I can get down to 15 minutes. You have no idea how long it takes me to write, but then I read “When I first started blogging, it would take me three hours to write ONE blog post. Yikes!”

Okay, now we’re talking. Lately, I have been using an editorial calendar, writing out sample headlines when an idea strikes, and stockpiling images that I think I might be able to use for posts. This has dramatically cut down on my writing time – that is, when I stick to it.

I was pleasantly surprised the article surpassed the expectations set by the title. I’m not to the point where I’m willing to set my timer for 15 minutes and call it done yet, but I’m encouraged that I’ll continue to get closer by staying on this path.

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com Dainis Graveris

The most important thing is to plan your time , like you mentioned Without planning is hard to work – it`s like chaos in daily plan!

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/ Michael A. Stelzner

When we publish articles here I always write the headlines (perhaps rewrite is a better word) as one of the last things I do. I like to say that the headline emerges from the wreckage of my writing. I did not write this post, but I did edit it.

Nerma Moore

Thanks Brad! Calendars are an awesome way to stay organized and also decreases time at the computer. And it seems as if you are already using it as your “semi-bank” as you store images and tentative headlines for future use.

DorleeM

Thanks so much for sharing your blogging strategy. This sounds like a great plan.

Unfortunately, I’m at the stage where it takes me between 2 and 3 hrs to write a post (and it’s closer to the 3 hrs)… and it’s very hard for me to envision such a drastic reduction in time spent. However, if I would be able to cut the time spent to even an hour, I would be thrilled.

I will try applying your suggestions.

http://www.denisewakeman.com DeniseWakeman

Great article, Nerma. I’m working on a presentation about how to create an editorial calendar and come up with a bank of ideas and I may use some of your tips…with proper credit of course…blog on!

Nerma Moore

Thanks Robert!
After a ton a daily three hour appointments with my laptop—I knew there had to be a better way.:) The outline evolved and has been my best friend in saving both time and energy. You are right…. following a pattern makes article writing easier.

Nerma Moore

SigmaBiz;

From personal experience– headline last.

Throughout my blog post-crafting processes, I found that writing my headlines first was one of the major contributing factors that kept the clock ticking and stunted my progression. Reading several copy writing books and articles, “Headlines”, “Headlines”, “Headlines” was the gist of gaining and keeping a person’s attention.

So, I would spend over forty minutes in the headline section alone!! And for what? By the time, I was done writing the article another title, and might I add– more profound and concrete to the content at hand evolved.

So, I concur with Mike– “…the headline emerges from the wreckage of my writing.”

Nerma

http://twitter.com/paolofurini Paolo Furini

Thanks Nerma, straight to the point

http://twitter.com/paolofurini Paolo Furini

Thanks Nerma, straight to the point

Nerma Moore

Thanks, Denise!

Use as many tips as you like…:) Good luck on your presentation!

http://twitter.com/StartupSidekick Jason Sullivan

Great article Nerma.Your tip about leaving the title until the end is very intelligent. This article is very applicable, and was well written. Keeping writing to 15 minutes or less ensures that no time is wasted; you can accomplish the same amount of work in 15 minutes as you could in an hour (if you work hard).

Found the catch at the beginning: “What are people searching for? What are people interested in? What do they want to read? Figure this out.” Of course, this is the hardest part!

http://www.searchengineoptimization.co.uk Bronte

Nice post..i am SEO writer for my own SEO blog and take care of many points like snappy headlines, bullet point lists, consistent with your style and passion in writing but still got many things to read which are useful for me

http://twitter.com/premiumweb Glennette Goodbread

Here’s another tip. When you’re writing the blog post, pretend you are being paid just $10 to write it. Your name will still be on it so you want it to still be quality work but you most likely won’t allow yourself three hours to write it!

http://www.CKRinteractive.com/ Kimberly Otsuka

Thanks for the great steps. Getting started is always the hardest part for me; however, these steps will definitely make it quick and easier to write a blog. My favorite part of the post is to write the headline. Creating a headline bank is a great idea. It’ll be useful under a time crunch. One thing I always keep in mind is quality over quantity. I know there can be a lot of pressure if you don’t produce a blog everyday but what about quality? Even if you post daily, readers will only care if there’s information that is important to them. A quick blurb is not going to win anyone over. Thanks again!

Every consultant today is recommending blogging to businesses. Yet, many businesses are fearful of actually taking the plunge. A particular client of mine said, “Okay, I guess I’ll blog. But I don’t know what I’m doing!” It would be interesting to see a blog post around “The fear of blogging: Why people are scared and how to blast through the digital airwaves.” well, something like that…

http://writingitrightforyou.com WritingItRightForYou

Excellent post! Because I write for several blogs weekly for myself and some of my clients, I am always looking for more ways to cut down the time. I’ve got it down to about 30-45 minutes for most posts AFTER I’ve down all of the research, etc. I don’t pre-write the headlines, but I do try hard to keep editorial calendars with prospective topics. I use a very well-known note-taking app (starts with an “E”–don’t know if I can give it a shout-out here) to keep track of ideas that just come to me and websites and pics that I always find when doing something else.
It also helps that many of my blogs have different themes for different days so I can just “fit” post ideas into the right slots.
Thanks Michael for this site. It is SO helpful.

http://www.whatspinksthinks.com/ David Spinks

Loved how you broke down the list post with 5 steps into individual posts with tweaks to make them compelling content. Seems like a great way that you can expand the amount of posts you get out, without lowering quality. Going to have to try that method as I’ve been known to cram a lot of points into one post.

David, Scribnia

http://blog.sonicelectronix.com Yousif

writing blog posts can be a very challenging task for many business owners. I think that the main reason for the bad performance is the lack of resources. Most businesses don’t invest in content writing and they try to automate the process or post a low quality content that doesn’t attract visitors. What many marketers don’t realize is that daily posting, unique content, keyword density don’t matter if the content is not tailored to your target audience.

http://www.greenfeet.com Valerie Reddemann

Great tips! It seems like my number one excuse for not posting is that it takes too much time. Well, that excuse is no longer valid!

Regarding the headline, I happen to agree that the title should come after the post. Titles just seem to flow better that way.

http://twitter.com/maureen_monfore Maureen Monfore

Lots of great meat in this article! I’m a copywriter and perfection is important in my work, so it’s hard not to be a perfectionist when I blog. I can write fast but it’s the perfectionism that gets me hung up. I’ll have to change my mindset. Thanks!

http://dinodogan.com/ Dino Dogan

Not sure who to compliment on this post…Mike or Norma. Norma for writing a great article or Mike for diligently keeping an eye out for new talent….so…thank you both

I’ve done a series before (several in fact) and this article made me realize why it was only a moderate success in terms of immediate readership.

I should have done daily series, not weekly (I dont have the kind of clout TV shows have). People were excited to see where I was going with the Edward Bernays in Social Media thing, but the excitement waned with each new day….daily post would have been better I think…

In terms of headline first/last…who cares…as long as its good.

Im a songwriter and people have asked me “do you write words or music first”. And the answer is sometimes its one, sometimes its the other….but if it sucks, it dont matter which came first lol

Great stuff guys

http://www.wendyscharfman.com Wendy

Hi Nerma,
Great post although I have to say I get very frustrated with the “Series Approach”. Makes me feel cheated and impatient that I have to wait for the rest of the content. Not a fan of that.
Appreciate your sharing this!

AngieVanDenzen

Thanks so much – I had blog post writing on my to-do list and this is just want I needed to encourage me! Will give your tips a try & see how it goes!

There are those days when the idea for an article/blog post just drops out of the blues and writing it seems effortless. Then there are those times when a good idea takes weeks to make it to publication. So it’s great to have practical tips to create structure and expedite the process. Thanks, Norma.On when to write the headline: I like to start with a draft (some place to hang my central thot) knowing that I’ll be refining it after the final version of the article is done. That way I don’t get stuck at the start of the article finding that “perfect phrase”.

Nerma Moore

Glad to know that you could walk away with a few extra added pearls, Bronte.

http://ClimbingEveryMountain.com Mary E. Ulrich

Thanks Michael. I finally launched my blog this week and so far I’ve spent hundreds of hours on those first posts. Definitely need a shortcut and have printed out your outline.

http://www.bhinsights.com steve schwartz

Great post. I’m going to make it required reading for our writers and guest bloggers.

http://www.xbs.ie Helen Cousin s

I agree with “headline last” as a principle. And setting a timer (I also do that). However, (and I’m curious as to whether this happens to others), I find that sometimes when driving home & thinking about the day, that a phrase pops into my head and it later turns into a post. e.g. “Ash to Cash, Make a Customer Not a Sale” > http://bit.ly/bxTqel and I have yet to write “Kitchens to Coffins; a Recessionary Tale”. I use train journeys and trips to the hairdresser to write a few blog posts at once – to build up the “blog bank”. Also, like training for a race, the more posts I write, the faster I become. I will try out some of your tips for sure; although there is no magic formula, we each have to find our own way to blast those blogs! Thanks for the post.

http://www.aboutcanada.ca Richard

Thanks. The post gives food for thought. I am not sure I can manage 15 minutes but setting a fixed time is a great idea

Neal

Thanks for the outline approach. I usually get stuck trying to create the title first and never get the blog completed. Going to try it your way now.

http://twitter.com/littlesMandC Sarah Lanphier

It is easy to get carried away with blogging and forget to actually conduct your business. It takes time to achieve the right balance of social media for your particular industry.

http://jjmichael.com JJ Michael

Great article. I feel good because I have been following those steps and love to blog.

http://twitter.com/SuziCraig SuziCraig

Some book authors write a book start to finish, no stopping. Others need an outline. Still others write in chunks and then piece it together. There’s no answer in the creative process.

I start with a headline knowing it will not be final until I’ve written the article.

There is also the concept of linkbait which I don’t see here (maybe I missed it) – creating headlines that are super ripe for SEO, i.e., instead of using Top 5 Restaurants in New York, use Top 5 Sushi Restaurants. I actually don’t see any reference to SEO in this article which I find a bit odd since blogging’s soul sister is findability via keywords (at least for now, before the real “splinternet” happens). Why is that?

KarenHFein

Loved the article. Very well written with concise information. Thanks! For me, some days are more creative than others. During these times I “flesh-out” several ideas and save them as drafts. On a good day this may lead to multiple articles that I schedule as future posts. On a less creative day, I go to Stumble Upon (http://www.stumbleupon.com), where I often find inspiration. The down-side is that I must limit my viewing as the site can be addictive. So with that said, I guess we are back to setting limits at the 15-minute rule. And on it goes . . .

Delroy A. Whyte-Hall

Wow! Dr. Moore, this has been one of the best articles I have ever read about writing a blog post. I thank you very much. I have been a journalist for 18+ years, and this is one of the best piece of writing advice I have come across in that this time. I write three blog posts per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Now, with this plan, I can increase my production and increased it to one blog per day – five per week, instead of three.

Outlines truly do solve a ton of time-constraint problems… I’ll toast to no more excuses as well.

Nerma Moore

Thanks Delroy!

http://www.socialceen.com Bruno Andrews

I’ve actually been learning how to write better blog posts just from reading Social Media Examiner on a regular basis – seeing how it’s done here. You practice what you preach, that’s for sure!

Meena Reddy

Following these few points anyone can come up with a good blog

Kathleen Gage

Excellent tips. It’s also important to know our writing rhythms. For example, I love doing my blog postings first thing in the morning… before checking email, before checking sales stats, etc.
Kathleen Gage

http://www.seoconsult.co.uk Steve

Nice post on writing quick and effective blog post, i do write regular on my blog related to SEO Niche, some are business based posts some are informational, Call to action is must in each post and it makes your readers to engage with your post having valuable comments

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/ Michael A. Stelzner

Thanks Bruno

http://www.okkatots.com Jeanette

You certainly give the meat! Thanks for a helpful guide. I have been balking at starting because of the time commitment. Maybe I’ll jump in now!

http://onlinemarketingtips-blog.blogspot.com/ global

awesome article… to the point… tanks.. i’ll try to my next blog post

http://www.whytehallcommunications.webs.com Delroy A. Whyte-Hall

You are indeed welcome. The pleasure is mine!

http://twitter.com/SashaGaya Sasha Gayatri

What a great post! I think it’s very helpful. Do you by any chance write it in 15 mins as well? ;))

http://www.proudlyrepresents.com/ Remco Janssen

Hi Nerma,Awesome post!But…These are the great posts WE need. Yet it’s impossible you have written this story in just 15 minutes. No can do. ;-)You can write a great post in 15 minutes, sure, I do that every day using posterous. Usually just one sentence or a short remark to a presentation or an image. That ‘ll do. Be honest: did you write this post in 15 minutes? Did you? I sure as hell hope NOT. Big #paradox sign hanging over you ;-). No problemo. The best posts are lenghty ones full of small surprises, ones where you can tell the author thought of it in a long amount of time.If you want to create good valuable content for a company, like for brand-building or PR-reasons, I urge all of you to DO take at least 4 hours in the total writing process. Write less, but make better stories. If the story wasn’t worthwhile taking up 4 hours of your time, then it was a crappy story anyway!So press DELETE then…A good blogger creates valuable content. A great blogger writes awesome stories. You’re an awesome blogger, although I do not agree with you. Pardon my Latin: it’s a contradictio in terminis.Cheers, Remco (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

http://www.wilsonusman.com/ Wilson Usman

At first I was pretty skeptical about the who 15 min thing but now I feel more confident and ready to apply it thanks for sharing this is going to be a big changers for me…I spend hours on my blog post crafting them, I feel the need to since I am not a professional writer, but I am going to trust you on this one…

Nerma Moore

Writing during your peak productivity time certainly helps.

Thanks Kathleen!

Ileana

OK, what is the E- notetaking app?

Ileana

I love when experienced people humble themselves and speak of their failings or weaknesses. It makes it helps the rest of us realize we are human and not perfect. I got such a kick out of your confession that it took 3 hours to write a blog post. I just wrote and published my first blog this week it took almost three hours to write four paragraphs. I know it won’t take that long next time. Your clear, concise and organized article will be a big help to me. Thanks so much.

http://writingitrightforyou.com WritingItRightForYou

OK. It’s Evernote! Can I say that? If you haven’t tried it ($5/month for premium), try it. Really study how to use it. Available on web, standalone, Android, iPhone/iPad, Windows, Mac, EVERYWHERE. Hope I don’t get in trouble with Michael! LOL! http://evernote.com

Questions1st

Just wondering: how long did it take you to write this blog post?

I think it takes more than 15 minutes just to prepare for starting writing. And just typing takes you 10 minutes.

Finally, a golden rule of successful blog posting is not to use catchy titles that are not justified by the content.

http://bestformofwords.com Fatai Badmus

Hi Nerma,

Thanks so much for these very useful tips. Have a great day.

Fatai

http://www.momsnochaoszone.com Jenn Schwilling

Great unique post. I don’t think I’ve seen a step by step article on writing a blog post. Maybe it seems like a no-brainer to a lot of writers but this brain could really use the step-by-step. Thanks for the great info!

http://daviddoolin.com/ Dave Doolin

Delroy, I have to agree. I’ve been writing a long time, nearly 15 years academically, and just scanning over this article my first reaction was: “Hrmph. She’s giving away all MY secrets.”

But no worries, knowing what to do is one thing. Actually doing it, quite another.

@Nerma – congratulations on a great score!

http://www.sugarhollow.com Hayden Cabell

Thanks, Nerma. Ditto to all of the positive comments left for you about inspiring us to get control of our blog post writing. As Suzi Craig mentioned in an earlier reply — would love info now about how to make our posts more SEO friendly. Can you do that for us?

Megan_tremblay

Nerma,

This article is very good and very helpful to writers especially those who are busy or do not have enough time to write. Your five tactics are great and I love the 4th one which is the “series approach” and will be very much effective to bloggers.

http://justkissie.com/ Kissie

Hi Nerma,

Nice meeting you, I am coming to you today via Brad Harmon’s “Stumbled Upon” recommendation. I don’t know why I anticipated a quick easy fix … looks like if I follow your guide, it will be a lot longer preparation time than the quick fifteen to write. Tactics 1, 3, and 4 should prove beneficial. Thanks!

http://www2.astate.edu/a/business/sbtdc/ Hlawrenc

Thanks! as a newbie blogger for our Small Business and Technology Development Center I am running into the issue of time management and still getting interesting articles out to our small business clients around rural Northeast and North Central Arkansas looking for all the advise I can get great article.

Nerma Moore

I’ve found that if you at least have a solid guide (that you can tweak of course to fit your needs), the time process will surely be cut enormously.

Thanks Jenn!

Nerma Moore

Megan;

Although some people hate to “wait” on information, the series approach is extremely effective for busy bloggers. It sets the stage for readers and it allows you more freedom to do other things because your mind is free (if only for a little while) of what topic you will write about next. Also, I am of the opinion that it builds a relationship with readers as well.

Nerma

Nerma Moore

IIeana,

I came to the conclusion that perfection stunts and kills growth, but progression is everlasting.

Many days and nights I tried to make every sentence perfect, but realized that as long as I crafted sensible and comprehensible statements and provide value– that was just fine. And also– remembering that there is tomorrow… another day to publish new content.

Nerma Moore

Thanks Dave.

If you would have let me known in advance, I would not have spilled (ALL) the beans.

http://socialmedianotebook.com Kapil Apshankar

Nerma – you’ve penned a gem of a post here. Love the steps – and the 15 minute timer approach.

Our brains work at the their best when working towards a hard deadline – and that’s also when creative juices flow aplenty.

I’ve often walked away from similar short, intense bursts of blogging, surprised at my own abilities.

There are two strategies that complement your steps:

1. More often than not, awesome headlines hit me when least expected. I save empty posts with those headlines. Most of them, I get back to some day. Others, just sit there – waiting for their day to come.

2. I use MindNode Pro to mindmap ideas and flows. Takes me about a minute before I start writing every post, but helps me focus my mind and brings clarity to my thoughts and what I want to cover.

Thanks for sharing this!

Nerma Moore

Hey, Kapil, thanks for this—those are two great examples!!!

There are so many tips and tricks to writing, but setting a deadline and actually sticking to it is worth the confinement.

Thanks for sharing.

http://www.indigogirl.co.uk/ Kittie at Indigo Girl

Really great post with succinct advice, thanks : )

http://www.thefittestvegan.com/ Alejandro

The headline bank is a great idea. same with timing yourself. Awesome post!

http://www.natalielouise.com.au Nat

Great points here, I am always trying to write or develop my posts in under 30 minutes and always succeed, whether it is great content or not is another thing for me to look at!
thanks for the tips!!!

http://startupgrowthexpert.com/ Vinil Ramdev

I do believe writing blog posts is like building muscle. You’ve got to write a blog post every single day if you want to be good at it. Writing once in a while is always going to be tough. So writing everyday is eventually going to make writing easier and easier day by day.

The headline is what attracts the readers! Your headline must be a killer! You’re right its quite difficult for someone to finish writing in 15 minutes, especially for newbies! But as Vinil has posted above, writing daily will make life easier for you day by day!

Thanks for this useful information!

http://www.brickmarketing.com/ Nick Stamoulis

Writing a good blog post takes practice, the more you write, the better you become at it. As that old saying goes, practice makes perfect. What I find helpful is having a dynamic title, brainstorming paragraph topics as I go along, and then expanding upon them. I tend to find myself jotting down topics for blog posts as they come to me.

Rafi

This article brings in a clear picture of how to write a wonderful post in a shortest possible time, and I am sure the above points discussed are really useful to the fullest. i will use these tactics and try to write my articles in just 15 mins, of course without losing quality. thanks for the info and keep up the good work.

http://www.styliciouslysocial.com Styliciouslysocial

Nerma! This article seriously spoke to me this morning! I thought it was just me — but I guess as a new blogger one must go through growing pains. I knew it shouldn’t take me longer than 30 minutes to write a post!! This article will help me get through the junk and “to the meat” now! Thanks, thanks and thanks!Andrea

Nerma Moore

Thank you Rafi, and thanks for commenting. Let us know how the tactics work for you!

Nerma Moore

Ciesla,
Glad you liked the post!! It is my hope that I will be able to post more articles here. Feel free to email me if you have more questions about other blogging tips. Blogging (which is a great form of communication, in my opinion) and singing is what I love…
Nerma

Nerma Moore

Thanks Alejandro! Glad you enjoyed the post.

http://twitter.com/jonharules Jonha Revesencio

Very well, I badly need this. I have once guest blogged but I don’t think I was as successful as the blogger I did the guest blog for (of course!). I mean it don’t think it was really a win-win situation.

Storgaznysz

I think that’s called a slider.

http://www.esds.co.in/ data Center

Nice orientation .very well written article .the most time is being confused in the tittle.We should give time to give the best tittle to the article.Content is king every one knows that , must use 2-3% of keywords in the article to craw as early as possible.

Brandon Andersen

Thank you so much for the blog post Nerma! I find myself being overly critical of my posts and trying to make them “perfect.” You make a really good point about just letting that stuff go and to focus on the meat of the post and not spend an hour re-reading and editing the post to death.

http://twitter.com/JuniperCurrie Juniper Currie

Great information on creating content for your blog. It’s a challenge not to get stuck on creating huge blog posts. Short and to the point is best. Thank you.Juniper Currie

Nerma Moore

Thanks Brandon and thank you for your insight.

I found that “perfection” is not productive, but progression is always the best strategy towards it.

Nerma

Nick Perdiew

I like the way you think.
Also, for headline writing (email subject line writing, direct mail envelope teaser writing, article or advertising headline writing), there is a gold standard guide, which is a chapter in John Caples’ book Tested Advertising Methods. All the greatest ad writers have kissed the ring and blessed this book. For good reason. By what you’ve said, I’m guessing you’ve come across it.

Sometimes developing great content takes as long as it takes. 15 minutes – really? If I wrote all my posts with a time limit- I would be doing my clients an injustice.

I agree with developing a creative process that works and sticking to a formula but not to adhering to a time schedule..

Jasman_pinto

hey hi…were is ur blog. i wanna read it…

http://TheExecutiveHappinessCoach.com Jim Smith

Love this post — for me, a great reminder that good writing need not take hours. As for which comes first… I kind of do a chicken and egg thing — sometimes a great headline shows up, and it sparks a timely, relevant post or article that honors the headline. Other times, the content comes first, and the headline emerges post-writing. I suggest that both approaches work, depending on the topic, the timing, the mood of the writer (at least with me!), and in some cases, the deadline!

http://twitter.com/imscottmorris Scott Morris

Nerma,

great post. I am working on starting a new blog, and came straight to this article. I know for me I need a lot of help with focus. There’s probably not one right way, but having somewhere to start and work from is really important. It would be my hope that as I go, I would come up with my own additions to this that help me be as productive as I can be…and I would imagine that most people who stick with a process like this would come to their own discoveries in the process as well.

Thanks for the help, and I hope you get to write more articles here, too!

JennyB

This was so helpful, Nerma! I was able to get my post today out in about an hour. I was sidetracked by hunting for the perfect image, then email. Surprisingly, I think it still cut my work time by about half.

Scott,
Glad your enjoyed the post!
Good luck with your blog and I am glad that my article will serve as a starting point/guide to your initial blogging process.

Nerma

http://www.paintedfaces.co.nz Kara

Thanks Nerma, I agonize over my blog posts so much that I haven’t even done one in over a month. /blush. must get on with it.

http://twitter.com/NaturalAbyot Latrice Roe

This is great information!! I know my issue is the perfection and creating a title to keep me focused instead of letting my thoughts fully evolve and not capping them with a title. But I have went from doing a blog in 2 hours to doing one in 30 to 45 minutes so I have seen some improvement. hehehe

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_POZYAEOXVPFRIMQZPFAFX4GJVA Arnold Ramirez

Thanks for the informative post and for actually replying to your readers’ comments. That’s something I don’t see very many blog owners doing and that makes me frustrated. Keep up the good work and I’ll continue coming back here to learn more….http://howtodealwithdepression.org

http://www.ricardobueno.com/ Ricardo Bueno

I try and schedule time every day (at least 20-30 minutes) to just write. I don’t always publish what I’ve written, but it’s a good exercise and it allows me to get my thoughts out. I start with the title first and build on my idea from there.

Timing yourself and closing ALL distractions (with the exception of Pandora for me) is a must so that you get something good out as opposed to something that’s plain ol’ mediocre. Before you hit publish, ask yourself, “why would someone bother to read this?” If it’s good and you have an answer, then it’s a post worth publishing. Otherwise, you may need to revisit and refine it before hitting the publish button.

One cerebration: every term i do a investigate on Google (or Bing, Character, whatsoever), my activity terms are conveyed to the position I am going to. I infer that could be a keen occurrence as they can improve create my receive. But it is also bedevilment that my data is dispatched without my authorization. Is there an promiscuous way for browsers to catch this from occurrence?
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prabin Bpo Work

Thanks for sharing these great tips. I’ve used the series approach and it’s worked very well although mine is a little different. I usually write an article focused on a concept, then follow it up with a how to article, and after that a tips or top xx list article. I like your headline bank idea, I think I’m going to give it a try.

Great article. I feel good because I have been following those steps and love to blog.

http://www.dugslife.com/ Douglas Wilson

Dr. More, I am fairly new with blogging. Right now I am posting a blog about me graduating and how it took me 11 years to do. Thought about starting off with a story about my life, so I googled that and found your site.

Thank you for all the helpful tips, I will be looking at your blog more often now.

Have a Merry Christmas.

SCL

You have created a blogging monster in me! Took a little practice but I am now writing new posts in just about 15 minutes. Thanks!

SCL

You have created a blogging monster in me! Took a little practice but I am now writing new posts in just about 15 minutes. Thanks!

http://www.creativekatrina.com Creative Katrina

I’m going to echo what so many other people here have already said — great tips that can save time and improve efficiency. I definitely keep a reserve of blog topics/titles that I modify once I finish writing if necessary, and keep them in a Google document to access easily. Out of the other suggestions you mentioned, people will have to experiment to see what works for their creative process as not all tips are a fit.

I would argue that if you are a professional writer, it comes across as unprofessional if there are consistent spelling or grammar errors in your posts (although that happens sometimes and we are not perfect human beings.). However, people should work on moving past a post being “perfect” and getting stuck on hitting the publish button due to perfectionism.